I am here to make your life infinitely better: The next time you sift through all of Netflix’s abundant offerings, watch Twin Peaks. I, too, was once like you—cold, lost, aloft in this cruel world—until I found the perfect TV show. Now, I bequeath it, like an heirloom, to you.
On air for only two seasons in the ’90s (and canceled because it was too weird), Twin Peaks is the brainchild of cinematic master David Lynch and Mark Frost (or “some other guy,” as I call him). Investigating the murder of town sweetheart Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), affable Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan, the love of my life) arrives to find the provincial burg of Twin Peaks clotted with secrets, murder, infidelity, moral decay and a lot of pie. While the mystery of Laura Palmer’s death (and the ensuing discoveries of her not-so-innocent life) lingers in the background, the real intrigue lies in the characters’ interactions with each other. Twin Peaks features some of the most individual characters ever put to screen, including my personal favorite, the Log Lady.
Besides the fact that it’s coming back as a new version on the air in 2016 on Showtime and you don’t want to be out of the zeitgeist, there is so much I could say to persuade you to watch this magnificent piece of art. I could mention the timeless aesthetic, the femme fatale Audrey Horne, the haunting music, the eternal question of “WHO IS DIANE?!?” But I shall leave you here, dear reader, to find your own way to Twin Peaks. Just be sure to avoid the Black Lodge.